Lab 10 - Atwoods Machine

Purpose & Background
This lab was conducted to learn the relationship between two masses acceleration while on a pulley. As to simplify the experiment it was assumed that the pulley was frictionless and that the string connecting the two masses was massless and also frictionless.


Hypothesis
The hypothesis for this lab was that the heavier mass would accelerate downward while the lighter mass is pulled upward with an equal and opposite acceleration.


Apparatuses

• Paper cups
• 'Massless & Frictionless' string
• 'Frictionless' pulley
• Computer
• Logger Pro
• Vernier Photogate with Ultra Pulley
• Vernier computer interface
• Mass set
• Ring stand
• Perpendicual clamp

Procedure
Part 1

1. Set up the system so that the heavier mass could travel at least 40 cm before hitting the groud
2. Connected the photogate with super pulley to DIG/SONIC 1 of the interaface
3. Open the file "10 Atwoods Machine" inthe Physics with Vernier folder. A graph of velocity vs. time will be displayed
4. Arranged a colletion of masses totaling 200g on m2 and 200 on m1. Recorded the values for mass and acceleration in the data table
5. Moved 5 grams from m2 to m1 recollect data.
6. Keep moving masses and recollecting data for five different combinations

Part 2

1. Conduct exactly like part 1 but adding 20 gram increments to both sides instead of transfering
2. Repeat until you have five different observations

Part 1: Total Mass Constant

Part 2: The Mass Difference Constant


Analysis
3) The greater the mass difference the greater the acceleration of the heavier mass
4) The relationship is that the acceleration decreases then increases and then decreases, according to the graph


5) F = m * a